HIATUS

Currently, Erik could be seen looking intently at one of the computer screens in the lighthouse. He was trying to find any clues about Loki's scepter. He had tasked Alfred to hack numerous organizations that deal with alien technology.

With this method, Erik knew that the chances of him locating the scepter were close to impossible. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack, the haystack being the literal earth itself. This method was both Ethan's and his last resort. The scepter had been lost for months now and they still have no clue where it could be found, so the two of them had no choice but to resort to this method.

Multiple windows continually pop in and out of the screen due to Alfred scanning numerous organizations' database and chat logs.

"Erik, still no luck with Loki's scepter, huh?", Howard said as he approaches Erik.

"Still nothing", Erik sighed in defeat.

"Where is Hela? I haven't seen her all day. Is she still in the Orphanage?", Howard asked.

Hela was quite intrigued by Howard when they first met. Due to Hela's powers having to do with the death itself, she became fascinated at the ability to significantly revived the dead. For Howard, meeting Hela was also interesting. When he is near the woman he could feel a sort of power surrounding him and strengthening him. Aside from that, he found the power quite calming to his mind. Howard won't admit it but he had gotten used to this feeling.

"No, Ethan is in Chronyca-2 right now. While Hela is currently in Europe somewhere. Honestly, I didn't listen when she talked. It all went out of my head", Erik replied.

"I se---"

Suddenly, the two of them heard shattering sounds all around the base. Erik immediately stood up and he became wide-eyed because of it. As a disciple of Ethan, he knew that the base is protected by an invisible barrier. In order to reach the base, any individual would be detected by this barrier. Even if the individual had a unique power that made him/her invisible to both technology and the naked eye, the barrier would no doubt detect any intruder that wishes to enter the base unannounced. The barrier also functions as a literal barrier from all supernatural attacks. Due to the runes that Ethan had learned from the Master of the Mystic Arts, the barrier of the base uses universal energy.

Before Ethan had left The Lighthouse, he had dispelled all his clones. He wanted to personally fight during the invasion of Chronyca-2. He wanted to show the invaders his power and since his clones were also itching to battle, he decided to leave him in charge of the base.

In the lowest level of the base was a seal script that Ethan had given Erik to temporarily watch. The seal script was the core of the barrier itself. Just like Ethan, Erik had placed a clone in the lowest level to report to him when something went wrong. The moment he heard the shattering sounds his clone dispelled itself to tell him that someone had officially entered the base.

Both Ethan and Erik never thought that someone would learn of the existence of The Lighthouse, let alone attack it.

Following the breach in the barrier, the electricity of the base was lost. Causing total darkness to surround the interior of the base itself. Without any delay, he immediately dispelled the summoning jutsu that had placed, Howard, inside the Lighthouse. The person that attacked the base obviously has knowledge about runes. He didn't want this individual to know that reviving someone from the dead was actually possible. That was the reason why he had removed Howard from the equation.

He then made multiple hand signs which cause him to gain the trait of a snake. He immediately made multiple clones and had them search the entire base to locate the intruder. While searching he was thinking why someone would attack the base. To the attack The Lighthouse would make an enemy of Ethan and that was something only a few individuals would be able to handle.

It didn't take long for Erik to receive a new set of memories. One of his clones found the intruder in one of the storage rooms of the Lighthouse. Before his clone dispelled itself, he saw Roose, George, and Catherine arriving in the said location. Erik then immediately change course and went towards the direction of the storage room without any delay.

Once he arrived in the hallway near the storage room, he saw something that made him wide-eyed. He saw Roose trying to choke-out George. Most of the hallway was already destroyed or bang-up due to them fighting one another.

"Damn it you stupid snake!", George said as he tried to stop Roose from knocking him out. He tried to slam Roose to the wall but Roose was unbothered by this. He continued choking George as hard as he can.

While Catherine could be seen in the corner of the room, seemingly unconscious. Due to the room being dark, George was having a hard time trying to see his surroundings.

"What the heck is going on here!", Erik said as he quickly charges towards Roose and delivered a powerful kick to his head. The chakra enhanced kick managed to daze Roose for a while but he was still not letting go of George. To not lose momentum, Erik immediately did multiple hand signs and delivered a concentrated wind jutsu aimed at Roose's head as well. The attack manages to not only release George from Roose's hold but also propel Roose to the nearest wall.

Luckily the three of them weren't in their giant form when they fought or the base would have been destroyed.

"What's happening? Why did Roose suddenly attack?", Erik asked George who was still rubbing his neck.

"I don't know. One second we were inside the storage room and then the intruder produced a bright light that blinded the 3 of us. The next thing I realized was Roose attacking Catherine. I was too late to react and help her. I can't see in this darkness but Roose can, so he was easily able to take Catherine out and me if you didn't arrive", George stated.

"SNIISS!!"

With the use of the snake features in his body, Erik could see Roose standing up to retaliate against him and George. He immediately made multiple hand signs and slams his hands on the ground. The floor beneath the body of Roose began to transform into that of a swap immediately causing Roose to sink.

While Roose was struggling to free himself from the swap beneath him, Erik immediately charges towards him and placed a small exploding tag in his head. "Take Roose and Catherine away from here. I'll deal with the intruder", Erik said while he entered the storage room up ahead. Before he entered the room he detonated the exploding tag that he had placed on Roose's head.

"bang!"

The bomb wasn't powerful enough to decapitate Roose. His thick scales are too tough for that but the small explosion would be enough to knock him out.

Inside the storage room, he could see a man clad in armor. Only the slits of his glowing eyes could be seen. As Erik looks at the man in front of him, he felt unease. Something about the man just made him want to vomit on the spot.

"Who are y--", Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly found himself being bound by whips conjured by energy itself. He immediately channeled chakra in every inch of his body to enhance his strength and use it to escape but he soon realized that it was pointless. The more he resisted the more the whips constricted on him.

While he was struggling to free himself, the room began to glow in an ominous red-like shade.

"You and I never officially met. Master Kaecilius never introduced me to you", the clad man stated.

It was at this moment that Erik knew who attack the base, it was Zhang Wei. Erik stops fighting the whips that bind him and he looks at Zhang Wei and said, "Why are you here?".

"Because of this", Zhang Wei said as he pointed to the 3 large stones behind him. "Do you know what these monoliths are?", Zhang Wei asked.

Erik had no idea what the stones were but he was sure that Ethan knew what they were. He never really cared about what was kept in storage, he never even bother to ask Ethan about it.

But it seems that the three large stones in front of him were incredibly important. Important enough for Zhang Wei to attack the base and steal it from Ethan.

"I see, Ethan never told you what they were. I wonder why is that", Zhang Wei said as he looks at the stones for a brief moment. He then made a large portal and use it to teleport the stones out of the lighthouse.

"Do you actually believe that you will escape this place without Ethan knowing what is going on?", Erik stated. He still didn't know how Zhang Wei managed to stop the power of the base but the moment it would be back online, Ethan would learn what happened. This will cause him to immediately return back to earth and personally fight Zhang Wei.

"It would be highly unlikely for Ethan to know that I attack his precious hideout. The moment I destroyed the barrier of the base, I also destroyed all the technology inside", Zhang Wei said as he approaches the bound Erik. "He would probably realize that something is wrong in a couple of hours though but by then I would be gone.".

Erik then became shocked when he saw a yellow gem appearing on the forehead of the armor that Zhang Wei is currently wearing. The item that he has been searching for is now in front of him, it was the mind stone. Zhang Wei then taps Erik's forehead causing a unique power to course through his body. For a brief moment, Erik's eyes became pitch-black before they stabilize into a shiny yellow glow.